Trier Saint Peter's Cathedral, Trier
The High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier is the oldest cathedral in Germany, dating back to the 4th century AD when it was built by Bishop Maximin after Christianity was legitimized by Emperor Constantine.
The High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier is the oldest cathedral in Germany, dating back to the 4th century AD when it was built by Bishop Maximin after Christianity was legitimized by Emperor Constantine. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier, for being 'a visible expression of the immensity of imperial power and the claim to world domination' of the Roman Empire.
It has been expanded and renovated several times over the years, with architectural elements from classical, medieval and modern times. It still retains the original Roman central section and granite column near the entrance. The western façade is Romanesque, while the interiors have 3 Romanesque naves with Gothic vaulting. The relic of the Seamless Robe of Jesus (Der Heilige Rock) is in a Baroque Chapel. Also worth noting are the ✔Baroque stucco-work in the vault of the west-end choir, ✔epitaph of Johann Philipp von Walderdorf, ✔16th century Renaissance style pulpit made in black and white marble by Hans Ruprecht Hoffmann, ✔Romanesque tympanum over the south door depicting Christ between Virgin Mary and St Peter, ✔tomb of the papal legate Ivo which has Romanesque carvings of a dragon-like creature and a human head peeking out, ✔tomb altar of Archbishop Richard von Greifenclau, and the ✔skull of St Helena, mother of Constantine, in the crypt.
The Trier Cathedral Treasury (Schatzkammer) displays a relic of a Holy Nail from the Cross, the 10th-century portable altar of St. Andrew – comprising a gold and ivory covered oak box topped with a gilded model of the saint's foot with ornamented sandal straps, reliquary of St Peter's chains, chalices, ecclesiastical treasures, and works of art.
Fragments of a 4th century painted ceiling depicting members of the imperial family, which was excavated from underneath the cathedral, are on display at the Trier Episcopal Museum. The cathedral is also connected to the Liebfrauenkirche.
